Machine for forming spherical bodies



Aug 24 1926:

H. M, JENKINS MACHINE FOR FORMING SPHERICAL BODIES 3 Sheets-Sheen 1 Filed April 14 1.924

INVENTQB Aug. 24, 1926. 1,596,879

- H. M. JENmNs MACHINE? FOR FORMING SPHERICAL BODIES Filed April 14 192 3 Sheets-Sheac 2 INVENTO Aug. 24, 1926.

H. M. JENKINS MACHINE FOR FORMING SPHERIGAL BODIES ssheets-s'hem Filed April 14 192 m m: L Y

VENTOR I Patented Aug. 24, 1926.

HOWARD M. JENKINS, on oteniisnune, WEST VIRGINIA.

MACHINE FOR FORMING SPHERICAL BODIES.

Application filed April 14, 1224..

This invention relates to machines for molding or otherwise forming spherical bodies and an object of this invention is to produce an improved machine embodying the principle of operation of the machine of Patent Number 1,488,817, issued to me on April 1, 1924; a machine of greater ca pacity and higher efficiency than the machine of .said patent. I

A further object is to produce a machine embodying the principle of operation of the machine of said patent which may be operated in conjunction with a glass feeder adapted to deliver uniform gebs of glass at regular intervals of. time.

These as well as other objects which Wlll be apparent to those skilledlin, this particular art I attain by means of the machine described in the specification and illustrated in the drawings accompanying and forming a part of this application.

In the drawings Figure-l is atop plan view of a machine embodying this invention. Fig. 2 is a vertical section taken on the line AA of Fig. 1; looking in the direction- In this view some of the sets of forming wheels have been omitted for the purpose of avoiding confusion. Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken on the line l;3B of F ig. 1, looking in the direction of the arrows; and, Fig.- 4 is an enlarged detail View of a portion of the mechanism for discharging the finished articles I from the machine. Y I

Since the present machine is particularly adapted for forming marbles from molten glass, the material to be acted on will be referred to as glass and the finished articles as marbles without, however, restricting the invention to the use of glass or the forma of the arrows.

- tion of marbles.

The machine is a multiple unit machine in which the units are identical one wit-lithe 5' by means of other. For the purpose of this application I have chosena nine unit machine; more .or less units, of course, can be employed, if

desired.

In a eneral way themachine comprises nine. sets of rotating peripherally grooved forming wheels. The wheels of each setvhave their axes angularly' disposed one to the wheels are mounted 1 1 1 other andthe sets of spaced relation around a central column or standard .55

The; wheels ofeach set rotate in thesame direction but at diflerent peripheral speed-s.

base member 6. the bed 7 of a truck or movable platform.

support arms.

I sion support arm Each arm 13 carr es two rigid brackets 18 Serial Nb; 706,570.

moves upwardly while that of the other" wheel moves downwardly. The peripheral speed of the wheel moving upwardly at the forming point is greater than that of the wheel moving downwardly at that point and because of this gob oi glass being acted on by the Wheels is maintained at the forming point and prevented from falling through between the wheels. I

The sets of ly extending arms or supports and these arms and therefore the sets of wheels are caused to move receiving station.

Each support arm for the rotating wheels carries an arc-shaped funnel for receiving the glass at the glass receiving station and for conducting it to molding positionhetween the wheels carried by the support arm. The gob of glass slides or falls to position between the wheels and is sustained in position or at the molding point as explained.

By the time each approaches the glass receiving station the marble being molded thereby is finished and is sufficiently cooled and hardened to be delivered or discharged from the machine. At this point one of is moved away from the other and the finished marble discharged. The wheel is im-' mediately moved back so as to be in position when the glass receiving station is reached.

The central standard or post 5 of the machine about which the (sets of forming wheels are caused to revolve is mounted within a This member is bolted to A support or table 9 provided with dially extending arms 10 is mounted for rotation about the central column or post annular ball bearings 11 and 12. I

Each arm 10 carries an extension support arm 13 and a set of forming wheels comprising an outer wheel 14 and an inner wheel 15 carried upon each of these extension A circular plate or table 16 is bolted to radialarms 10 of table 9 by means of bolts 17 which are also used 13to the radial arms 10'.

and 19 boltedthereto and in addition a up I wheels are mounted on radialin succession past a glass set of forming wheelsthe wheels of the set to secure the exten bracket 20 pable of limited nally 0n arm 13.

reciprocation longitudi- Arm 13 adjacent its bracket 20 has guide blocks 21 and 22 (Fig. 3) secured thereto by means of bolts 23 which pass upwardly through the arm. The bracket is gibbed to the guide blocks by means of gibs 2% and 25.

Spindle 26 ot iiorming wheel 14- 'is journaled within annular ball bearings 27 and 28 secured within a housing portion oi bracket 20. Between bearings 27 and 28 the spindle carries a spiral gear 29.

Stationary bracket 18 of each extension arm 13 is provided with a housing portion similar to that shown in Fig. for spindle 26 and gear 29, and this ce 'ries annular ball bearings similar to those shown in Fi 3 and within these the spindle tor forming wheel 15 is journaled.

The axes of forming wheels 14- and 15 are inclined to the horizontal but in opposite directions, as shown in Fig. 3 in which the axis of forming wheel 1 1 is indicated by 7 while that of terming wheel 15 line X ll is indicated by line Y Y.

While the anes'o't the forming angularly disposed one to the other, they are perpendicular or 90 to the longitudinal axis of extension arm 13.

Brackets 20, 1S and 19 are upwardly extending portions numbered 30, 31 and 32 and within these an extensible pinion shaft 33 is journaled. The shaft 33 is provided with a slip joint 3a which is constructed so as to allow the shaft to be extended and collapsed during rotation thereof. Shaft- 33 carries a spiral gear 39 which is housed within bracket e1;- tension 30. This gear meshes spiral gear 29 on spindle 26. A spiral gear, not shown and which is housed within bracket extension 31 meshes with a spiral gear carried on the spindle of forming wheel 15. The inner end ot shaft carries a pinion l) that meshes with a stationary crown gear 11 keyed to central post It will be understood that each ex arm 13 carries brackets similar to th lustrated in Fig. 2 and that an extensible pinion shaft similar to shaft 33 provided for each extension arm. L

A rack bar e2 is mounted. to slide on the top surface of each support arm 13, and through a. recess in brackets 13 and 10, and at its outer end each bar provided with an upr-rardly extending toot 4i3. This "toot drilled in order to accommodateathrough belt 1 1 which is threaded into bracket 20. Adjustment nuts 15 and 4 6 are provided for adjusting the position of rack bar 42 with relation to bracket 20.

The inner end of rack bar i2 is provided with rack teeth 47. Plate 16 adjacent the inner end of each support arm 13 is drilled wheels are provided with respectively which is mounted as to be ca-to receive a stud as and upon each of these studs a combined cam 49 and segmental gear 50 is mounted. The cam and gear are preferably termed from a single piece (it metal. The thrust upon each rack occasioned by its gearis resisted by means of a backing plate 52 secured to support plate 16. Keyed to central post 5 below crown gear il is a cam operating member 53. his member is provided with a concentric bearing face 5 1- having an interruption as shown by dotted lines at 55 Fig. t. The plate is provided with an extension 56 upon the under side of which a contact roller 57 is mounted. The interruption 55 occurs immediately inside of roller 57 so that when one of the cams t9 contacts with. roller 57 it will have room to swing inwardly about its stud, a8. This movement of the cam will cause the rack bar with which its segmental gear meshes to move outwardly along its support arm 13 carrying with it bracket 20 and forming wheel 1%.

A contact roller 58 shown by dotted lines Fig. t is so positioned at one end of the interruptionot bearing surface 54 as to swing the cam leaving roller 57 back to normal position where it will ride along bearing surface 54:. This latter movement. of the cam moves forming wheel 14 back into normal operating position. An annular series of arc-shaped tunnels is positioned above the forming wheels for leading the gobs of molten glass to forming position. between the wheels. The funnels are separately formed, and each is supported from one of the extension of a supporting rod 59. The upper portions of the tunnels are arranged in overlapping relation, and their ends 60 and 61 are formed for that purpose.

Table 9, near its gear 62, and this, through means of suitable gearing, is connected with an electric motor 63.

For the purpose of severing the gathers of glass when hand gathering is employed,

The

I provide suitable automatic shears.

shear blades are supported from the upperf lOO arms 13 by means bottom, carrles a crown portion of central standard 5, and, rotating in opposite directi ons, are arrangedto meet at the glass receiving station below a positioning ring 65. This ring is supportedby an arm 6 to the top of standard 5.1

For the purpose of giving the gatherer more leeway as to time, when hand gathering is employed, I provide two sets of shear blades,and these are arranged so that both sets will come into operation or operative position during the time that eachfunnel is passing below positioning ring 65. The blades of one pair of shears are numbered, 66 and 67, while those of the other pair are numbered 68 and 69. The lower shear blades are carried on arms 7 2 and 7 3. Shear arms 7 2 and 7-3 are secured to a tubular support 74 journaled on part 75 of standard 5. Tubular support 74 also carries alower crown gear 76 and an upper crown gear 77. Upper shear arms '70 and 71 are carried on a tubular support 78, and this support also carries a crown gear 79. Secured to portion 7 5 of standard 5, between tubular supports 74 and 78, is 'a. ring 80-, from the op posite sides of which trui'ini'ons 81 and 82 extend. These trunnions carry pinions 83 and 84 that mesh with crown gears 77 and 79. A pinion 85 meshes with crown gear 76, and the shaft 86, carrying pinion 85, is connected to a shaft 87by means of sprockets and chain 88. Shaft 87 carries'a pinion 89, which forms a part of the gearin between crown gear 62 and motor 63. ginoe pinions 83 and84r'are' stationary, it will be apparent that the upper shear arms will rotate in the opposite direction from the lower shear arms,- and at the same speed.

It Will be apparent that, if the machine is used in connection with an automatic gob feeder, the shear mechanism may be omitted, since most automatic feeders are provided with their own shear mechanism. If hand gathering is used, this shear mechanism may also be omitted and the ordinary air-operated shears now in common use employed.

From Figures 1 and 3, it will be seen that instead of using the same form of peripheral groove in the forming wheels, as shown in my said Patent No. 1,488,817, I have, changed the form of these grooves so that the wall of the groove on the outside of the forming wheels is higher than the wall on the inside. I find that this does away with the tendency of the material being molded to assume an elliptical form, and also overcomes the tendency to form trunnion-like projections on the spherical bodies. This tendency I have found to exist with the form of groove of said patent.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a machine for making spherical bodies, multiple pairs of rotating, grooved, cooperating, forming members, means for causing said pairs to move in succession past a receiving station and means for separating the members of each pair to discharge finished material therefrom andfor returning the members to working'position thereafter.

2. In a machine for making spherical bodies, multiple pairs of rotating, grooved, oo-

operating, forming members, a supporting structure, means for causing said pairs to move in succession around said structure, and means for automatically separating the members of each pair to discharge finished articles ftherefrom and for returning the same to working position thereafter.

' after to working b e v H bers, of which the members of each pair have different peripheral speeds and aXes angu-' larly disposed one to the other, means for causing said pairs to move in succession pasta glass receiving station, and means for causing the members of eachpair to periodically separate for the dicharge of finished articles and thereafter to move to working position.

5. I11 a machine for making spherical bodies, a number of pairs of rotating, peripherally grooved, co-operating, forming members, of which the members of each pair have different peripheral speeds and axes angularly disposed one to the other, a central support, means for causing said pairs'to revolve about said support and means for separating the members of each pair to discharge finished articles and for moving the same thereposition.

' 6. In a machine for making spherical bodies, a number of pairs of rotating, peripher-' ally. grooved, co-operating, forming members, of Which the members of each pair have difi erent peripheral speeds and axes angularly disposed one to the other, means for causing said pairs to move in succession past a glass receiving station, and means for separating the members of each pair, to discharge finished articles therefrom.

7. In a machine for making spherical bodies, a number of pairs of rotating, peripherally grooved, co-operating, forming members, different peripheral speeds and axes angularly disposed one to the other, a central support, means for causing said pairs to revolve around said support, and means for separating the members of each pair, to discharge finished articles therefrom.

8. In a machine for making spherical bodies, a. number of pairs of rotating, erally grooved, co-operating, forming members, of which the members of each pair have different peripheral speeds and axes angularly disposed one to the other, means for causing said pairs to move in succession past a glass receiving station, and means for causing the members of each pair to separate prior to reaching said station and thereafter return to working position.

of which the members of each pair have periph- 9. In a machine for making spherical bodies, multiple pairs of rotating, peripherally grooved, co-operating, forming Wheels, of which the wheels of each pair have di'll'erent peripheral speeds and axes angularly disposed one to the other, means for causing said pairs to move in succession past a glass receiving station, means .i'or separating the WllQGlS of each pair at a predetern'iined point betore reaching said station and for returningthem to Working position thereafter, and means movable with said wheels for guiding material to forming position therelJQtWGGD.

10. In a machine for making spherical bodies, a central support, a number of pairs of peripherally grooved, co-operating, forming 'WllQOlS carried by said support, means for rotating said Wheels, means for causing said Wheels to travel about said support, and means for separating each pair of Wheels at a predetermined point in ts travel and for returning them to Working positionsthereafter. 7 c

11. In a machine for molding spherical bodies from molten glass, a number of pairs of rotating, peripherally grooved, eo-operating forming Wheels, of which the Wheels of each pair have different peripheral speeds and axes angularly disposed one to the other, a standard concentrically arranged with relation to said wheel's, means for causing said pairs of Wheels to revolve about said standard, means for leading molten glass to forming position between said Wheels, and means "for separating the Wheels of each pair at a pre-determined point in their travel about said standard and for returning them to Working position thereafter.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my name this fifth day of April, 195%.

HO'WARD M; JENKINS, 

